Board of Regents of the University of OklahomaUniversity of Oklahoma

Verwandlung durch Liebe by Ernst LotharReview by: Robert BreuerBooks Abroad, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Spring, 1953), p. 151Published by: Board of Regents of the University of OklahomaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40091811 .

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HEAD-LINERS 151

outlining the poet's mission in our time, the Christian poet's task explicitly, that of men like Sartre by implication. Introduction and epilogue are by Wilhelm Hoffmann. The vol- ume, not easy but worth-while reading, like Elisabeth Langgasser's novels, forms an excel- lent introduction to them. Marianne Bonwit

University of California * N. Leskov. Soboriane. New York. Chek-

hov. 1952. 400 pp. $2.75. Probably no other Russian writer of his stat- ure has suffered so much at the hands of po- litically-minded critics as Nikolai Leskov. His last great work, recently translated as The March Hare, was allowed to be published only after the fall of Czar ism. On the other hand, Soboriane, published at least five times in Rus- sia before the Revolution, has never to this reviewer's knowledge been reprinted in the Soviet Union. Despite Leskov's own virtual disownment of the book near the end of his life, it remains one of his masterpieces, and is a commendable addition to the growing list of Russian books not available in Soviet edi- tions which are now being issued by the Chek- hov Publishing House.

William B. Edgerton Pennsylvania State College

* Ernst Lothar. Verwandlung durch Liebe. Wien. Zsolnay. 1951. 459 pages. 22 dm.

Undoubtedly Ernst Lothar gained his rich humane knowledge from the three different professions he held: as District Attorney he came in closest contact with Justice's right and wrong ways; as editor he acquired a strong sense for the day's happenings; as theatrical director he enhanced his natural dramatic tal- ent. The novels he has published in Austria and in America mirror this threefold literary treatment; they all center around problems of justice, times, and stage.

In his new book, Marianne Erdlehner, daughter of a Gastein hotel-owner, fights to re- habilitate herself after she has served a prison term for a crime she never committed. Set against the background of a world shrouded in uncertainty, fear and turmoil, Lothar de- picts the marvellous transformation brought about by love and belief. Some may find the book to be symbolic of the struggle of the heroine's homeland - but even without such a comparison we may enjoy the scenes of great beauty and breath-taking suspense, which make it a major achievement in the author's long list of well-liked and widely read novels.

Robert Breuer New Yor\, N. Y.

* Ram6n Menendez Pidal. De primitiva lirica espanola y antigua Spica. Buenos Aires. Espasa-Calpe. 1951. 161 pages. $4.25 m-arg.

These diverse yet related articles bring together in one volume topics which appeared in differ- ent reviews from 1930 to 1949. The themes are of interest to the student of the romance as well as to the novice. The amicable polemic with Leo Spitzer about the historical authen- ticity in Cantar de mio Cid is most stimulat- ing. Enlightening is the chapter about the dif- ference of form between the French and Spanish epic poem. In Miragaia of the Portu- guese Almeida Garret, Menendez Pidal sees the development of the romance. After read- ing this volume one can better appreciate the early epic poetry of Spain.

Daniel N. Cardenas University of Oklahoma

^ Thyde Monnier. Uhuile vierge. Paris. Fayard. 1952. 286 pages. 500 fr.

Roquestel, a small town near Nice, furnishes the colorful setting for this novel. Its most ap- pealing quality is the naturalness of the color which owes nothing to the "phony" atmos- phere of the Promenade des Anglais with its all-pervasive mood of luxurious, yet highly commercialized idleness. Mme Monnier ig- nores the jewel-laden heiresses, the Bikini-dad actresses, and the filthy-rich Indian potentates, in order to acquaint us with those fortunate people who spend an entire lifetime on the Cote d'Azur. It is indeed refreshing to read about these unpretentious meridionaux with their hearty appreciation of the simple, natural pleasures afforded by their way of life.

Hugh W. Treadwell University of Oklahoma

* Sean O'Casey. Rose and Crown. New York. Macmillan. 1952. 323 pages. $4.75.

Sean O'Casey's prose is, of course, enchant- ing; lively, supple, flowing, and remarkable for its frequently unexpected choice of adjec- tive, it is a satisfying experience for the reader who delights in an enriching contribution to English letters.

This phase of the dramatist's autobiography presents the period from his arrival in Lon- don for the production of The Silver Tassie, rejected by Ireland's Abbey Theatre, through strenuous and impoverished times in England, to his visit to America for production of his equally controversial Within the Gates. The chronicle bubbles with malice, chatters with invective, twinkles with mischief. There is bit- terness, too, and perplexed resentment at the

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